CQC part 1: What is CQC?

Starting your own healthcare business can be an exciting prospect.

But your CQC registration can often feel like one of the more daunting tasks when starting your service. What paperwork needs to be completed? And what’s required from you at an inspection? There’s a lot to get your head around.

We’re here to help. From the registration to the interview process and the all-important inspection, get to know the basics of what’s required from you when you become a healthcare provider.
 

First things first: What is CQC? 

Let’s start with the basics. CQC stands for Care Quality Commission, and can be summed up as the not-so-catchy 'executive non-departmental public body of the Department of Health and Social Care of the United Kingdom'. Essentially, it is the regulator of most health and social care services in England (but not the whole of the UK).

As healthcare providers, we all want to make sure we’re providing the best possible care we can to patients. CQC ensures that happens in health and adult social care services in England by confirming they meet the ‘fundamental standards’ of quality and safety. 

Before you can carry out any of the activities they regulate, you must register with the CQC and show them you can meet a number of legal requirements.

There are several key aspects to the role of the CQC:

It’s highly likely that you will need to be CQC registered if you are providing health or social care in England. But there are some rare exceptions to this rule: there are a few services that may be exempt from CQC regulation, such as non-surgical cosmetic treatments.

Find out more about the CQC’s exemptions.  

Do I need to be CQC registered?

As a healthcare provider, being CQC registered is a legal requirement. In England, most providers of health and social care services must register with the Care Quality Commission.

As part of the application, you have to be able to provide evidence that shows you can provide care to government standards.  

Once a service is registered with the CQC, it is continuously monitored to ensure it’s providing appropriate care at each of their locations. The information gathered will determine when, where and what they will inspect.

To see if your service requires CQC registration, take a look at the full list of service types. 

If you’re still unsure if your service falls under the requirements for CQC regulation, you can phone on 03000 616161, or email enquiries@cqc.org.uk.
 

When can I expect a CQC inspection?

The CQC will try to inspect your service within the first 12 months of your registration. They don’t tend to announce an inspection as they’d ideally like to see the regular day-to-day running of your service.

You might, however, receive a short notice (48 hours) of inspection if the inspection is likely to have a negative impact on your patients; if your service opens on different times or days of the week; or where the service is delivered across a large geographical area.

The CQC updated their assessment framework in 2022, with continuing changes to their approach in late 2023 – ensure you familiarise yourself with these new changes if you’re a care provider in England.

What happens if I don’t register with the CQC?

The CQC has an enforcement policy, which serves two purposes: to protect people who use regulated services from harm and the risk of harm; and to hold providers and individuals to account for failures in how the service is provided.

If you don’t comply with the CQC’s enforcement policy, or fail to register with the CQC when required to do so, you could face a fixed penalty fine of up to £4,000.

You could also face prosecution for failing to register with the CQC when required to do so. This could be an unlimited court fine amount, or up to 12 months imprisonment.  

See the full list of penalties and the associated punishment here.